Hi, Fred. I'd like to try to add a little clarity on using MIDI and HTs. First, the MIDI command language is virtually universal to digital keyboards, computer music applications, and other aspects of music and entertainment, such as lighting control. MIDI does not contain or transmit sound or samples of sound, only the commands to control, and to some extent, modify the behavior of the receiving instrument, which could be a synthesizer, a sampler, a computer containing synthesizer or sampler software, etc. The point is, you don't need to get into tuning samples or other Rube Goldbergian workarounds to achieve what you're after, because it's up to the receiving synthesizer/keyboard to produce notes in response to note-on commands from the controller, and to tune/detune those tones for HTs with its own internal facilities. Many modern keyboards and synthesizer modules have a global parameter that enables the user to select from a variety of historical temperaments. Thereafter, all music produced by that module from any incoming MIDI commands will sound in the selected temperament, with no tuning-related pre-processing of the controller's commands required. Change the selected HT, and voila', the music is heard in the newly selected HT. In some instruments, it's even possible to change the starting tone upon which the temperament is based, thereby enabling transposition of the temperament without changing the general pitch level of the music, to demonstrate the differing effects produced by a given HT, but rotated around the key circle by any arbitrary interval. IOW, you could hear a piece written in say Eb, but with the temperament transposed to Eb to produce the "effect" of the intervals as if you were playing in C, but still heard in Eb. Pretty cool. Since Sibelius and Finale both output MIDI commands from the MIDI Out port, you can use a pre-recorded track from either one, or any other MIDI controller/keyboard/etc. to send the note commands. It is up to the receiving module to apply the desired HT. Therefore, you don't have to do any sampling, retuning, programming, or anything; just find a MIDI module that contains HTs, select the one you want to hear, attach the controller, and hit PLAY. As to specific instruments that contain these facilities, starting way back in the 80s and 90s, Kurzweil 1000, 2000, and 2500 series synths had various temperaments built in. My recent portable Yamaha P120 digital piano has half a dozen HTs. I'm sure there are many others, but I don't know names offhand. I would suggest a query to Sweetwater Sound, and possibly directly to Yamaha, Korg, Roland, Nord, and other manufacturers' tech support. I hope this saves you from chasing a wild goose when dinner's already on the table, or at least in the pantry. :-) -Mark Schecter Fred Sturm wrote: > On Feb 2, 2009, at 6:56 PM, reggaepass at aol.com wrote: > >> Does anybody out there know if there is something like this out there >> already? > > I have asked about such things, thinking of having some kind of > cyber files that could be used to take something in Sibelius or Finale > and play it in various temperaments. I was wondering if it was possible > to change the tuning of the files in electronic midi sound samples. <snip> >
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC